The deputy superintendent police (DSP) Shalkot police station narrowly escaped an explosion in the new Saryab area, an outskirt of Quetta on Tuesday.
DSP Sikandar Tareen was on routine patrol in his official vehicle and heading towards the Shalkot police station when an explosive device planted along the road was detonated through a remote control.
The windscreen of the DSP’s vehicle was smashed due to the impact of the blast causing minor injuries to the two police personnel sitting in the vehicle.
The DSP however remained unhurt in the attack. The injured were taken to hospital and were discharged soon after.
“The DSP was the target. Around 15 kilogrammes of explosive materials were used in the remote controlled explosion,” police officer Niaz Butti told The Express Tribune.
Another police officer said the DSP had not received a threat from any banned organisation while no group had claimed responsibility for the attack till the filing of this report.
A week ago, an FC vehicle was also attacked with a remote controlled device in the same area.
Meanwhile the police busted a gang involved in making IEDs in Quetta and arrested two suspects after seizing explosive materials from their possession on Saryab Road.
Addressing a news conference, director crime branch Mohammad Naeem Kakar said that an informer disclosed that a huge quantity of explosives was being smuggled through Quetta and, acting upon the tip-off, police officers were deployed in the area. During snap checking, a suspected pickup vehicle was stopped from which material used in making IEDs was recovered.
The police seized 754 kilogrammes of silver powder, packed in separate sacks, and 800 yards long wires used for detonating explosives.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 16th, 2011.
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